Daily Serving of Legal Matters

Have you eaten the most expensive fish in the Philippines? President's fish or LUDONG is dubbed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as the most expensive fish in the Philippines. A kilo of this fish would cost as much as P5,000.00.  It got its name as the President's fish because it was the favorite of former President Ferdinand Marcos because of its unique taste and distinctive aroma. But because of overfishing, this fish is becoming endangered.  Thus, efforts are made to protect it. In 1952, Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 31 was issued to: 1.  Aim to conserve Ludongs in Northern Luzon 2.  Prohibit to capture, purchase, sale, preparation, and serving of LUDONG for private or public consumption during its seasonal migration (October to January) 3.  Prohibit the use of tabukol or cast nets of large meshes, tabak or small drag seine for river fishing, or pateng or cylindrical fish pot for catching mullet in t...

Considering that my car's registration is about to expire, I searched on the website of the Land Transportation Office the processes on how to renew my registration.  As I explored the said website, this is what I have discovered.  This is the Q and A of the motor vehicle registration right from the webpage of the LTO.  I find it very useful and hence, I copied the same to be shared for you guys.  I do not own it.  Credits are due to the men behind of the LTO. For more information, please go to www.lto.gov.ph.   1. My plate number is MGE 123 when will I register?   You will register your vehicle on the 1st week of March.  For further clarification of motor vehicle registration schedule, the last digit of the plate number determines the registration month and the middle digit indicates the weekly deadline, presented as follows:   Last Digit of Plate Number (Monthly Schedule) Middle Digit of...

From the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office The month of May of every year is National Heritage Month, in accordance with  Proclamation No. 439, s. 2003 . For this year, the  National Commission for Culture and the Arts  (NCCA) has chosen the theme, “Pamanang Pinoy: Taoid 2014.” (Taoid is an Ilocano word which means “heritage.”) Since its inception, the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) has been working to preserve the historical heritage of the Philippine presidency, and promote it online. Since it took over the  www.gov.ph  domain four years ago, the PCDSPO has taken great strides to make the Official Gazette a repository of and platform for materials—both written and visual—that have defined the presidency throughout history. As the manager of the  Presidential Museum and Library online , the PCDSPO has advanced institutional memory further by making executive issuances and m...

This is a page created by netizens in seeking justice for the slain daughter.  Image was taken from the page of ABS-CBNnews.com. This is the news that shattered the whole nation this week.  A father slashed the throat of his very own daughter and then he even posted the picture of his dead daughter to his Facebook account.  Accordingly, he (the father) had an earlier altercation with his wife over the internet that led to the brutal death of their child.  The wife is working abroad.  You may read the whole story at ABS-CBNnews.com. In this situation, the crime that the father is charged of is PARRICIDE.  It is parricide because of the relationship of the offender to the victim. According to the Revised Penal Code: Article 246:  Parricide - Any person who shall kill his father, mother, or child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or any of his ascendants, or descendants, or his spouse, shall be guilty of parricide and shall be punis...

Atty. Alma Mallonga and Florencia Cornejo.  Photo taken from google. The legal drama of Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo has ramified anew.  This time is between the grandmother of the Deniece Cornejo and Vhong Navarro's lawyer Atty. Alma Mallonga. Allegedly, Florencia Cornejo claimed that she was pushed by Mallonga after she saw her wearing a shirt that says, "Justice for Deniece, Jail the Rapist" (ABS-CBNnews.com). So what constitutes the crime of grave coercion? The Revised Penal Code defines the crime of grave coercion as: Article 286.  Grave Coercions. - The penalty of arresto mayor and a fine not exceeding 500 pesos shall be imposed upon any person, who without authority of law, shall, by means of violence, prevent another from doing something not prohibited by law, or compel him to do something against his will, whether it be right or wrong. If the coercion be committed for the purpose of compelling another to perform any relig...

A public service message by arangkada.  A photo grabbed from google images. On May 19, 2014, a train rammed a passenger jeepney in Sampaloc, Manila resulting to one death and 6 persons injured. Initial investigation showed that a railway crossing signal warned vehicles that a train was approaching, but the jeepney still crossed the road.  The jeepney driver, who was also injured, reeked of alcohol when he was brought to the hospital, police said (ABS-CBN News.Com). Admittedly, drunk and/or drugged drivers resulted to many road accidents in the country.  Lives and limbs were lost, not to mention the million of pesos worth of properties damaged, due to these accidents. Coincidentally, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act Number 10586 or otherwise known as the "Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013". So what is the act punished in R.A. No. 10586? Basically, what is punished in SECTION 5 of this act is the driving of a motor...

A photo of the TV series The Legal Wife taken from google.com Since the local channel started airing the series The Legal Wife, a lot of viewers  have been glued to watch every episode of this series.  In fact the social media, like Facebook and Twitter, would be flooded with posts and comments written and interacted by its loyal viewers. In the said series, Monica, who is the legal wife of Adrian, caught her husband having an extra-marital affair with her best friend Nicole.  Based on the story, what would be the legal options for Monica if she would like to  fight in court? Option 1: Monica may file a criminal case of CONCUBINAGE.  This criminal case of concubinage shall be filed against both Adrian and Nicole.  Nicole is to be indicted with this crime also because she has full knowledge that Adrian is a married man before she had sexual intercourse with him. As what is stated in the Revised Penal Code: "Any husband who shall k...

Photo grabbed from google.   In the previous post, it was discussed in passing the circumstances on which marriage may take place in the brink of death.  Yes, death is not a hindrance for a couple to realize their dreams of saying "I DO" before one or both them die. It is even one of the exemptions provided by the Family Code of the Philippines as to the Marriage License. This marriage is called as marriage in articulo mortis.  Marriage in articulo mortis is one where the party/ies is/are at the point of death.  It does not contemplate of a scenarios wherein the parties are exposed in the danger of death. In marriage in articulo mortis, it is not necessary that one or both parties shall die after the marriage.  The marriage remains valid if the party in the point of  death survives.  What is important is that at the time of marriage, a point of death exists. The following are the situations provided by the Family Code where a m...